KUALA LUMPUR: The government spent RM622.88 million on subsistence allowance for fishermen from 2018 to 2022 in an effort to alleviate their financial burden due to the rising cost of living.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said under the initiative introduced in 2018, fishermen received RM300 per month while inland fishermen received RM250 per month.

"For the diesel subsidy scheme, fishermen can obtain diesel at RM1.65 per litre, and from 2018 to 2022, the recorded subsidy amount was RM3.61 million,” he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Muslimin Yahaya (PN-Sungai Besar), who wanted to know the total subsistence aid provided to fishermen in each state since 2018.

Meanwhile, Mohamad said the government also spent RM74 million to provide the Catch Incentive during the same period, benefiting 29,529 fishermen.

A total of RM7.5 million was spent on the Natural Disaster Relief and Fishermen’s Welfare Scheme to provide immediate aid to fishermen suffering from accidents, damage to property and loss of life.

For this year, RM2 million has been allocated to implement the scheme, which was introduced in 2009, he added. - Bernama